Pneumatic tire and rim construction



Sept. 6, 1932- A. H. SHOEMAKER 1,875,893

PNEUMATIC TIRE AND RIM CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Nov. 19 1925 INVENTOR 17/1/12? 1% .Sleoemaker ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1932 PATENT; OFFICE 7 ALVIN H. SHOEMAKEIRQOF snn'rrnn, wasIIINero I PNEUMATIC 'rIBn AND RIM CONSTRUCTION Original application filed November 19, 1925, Serial No. 69,995. Divided and. this application filed March 19, 1930. Serial No. 436,920.

Patent Number 1,510,709, issued October 7, 1924; and re-issued as Patent Number 17 ,461,

on October'15, 1929.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a tire andlrim construction embodying a rim having an annular circumfe'rential'cavity forming an air chamber, and having an inclined conical bead receiving-portion r'ree from abrupt shoulders'exten'ding around said cavity on each side of therim,"

said 'beadreceiving portionsbeing of larger -diameter at thelr inner edges and of smaller diameter at their outer edges and being ar-- ranged to receive the inclined bead portions of the tire, whereby said tire bead portions will-be caused to draw inwardly when inflated and to bind 'circumferentially on said inclined bead receiving rim portions.

Further obj cots are to provide a tire which is cheap to construct, dueto' the fact that it requires less rubber and less binder than the ordinary pneumatic tire of corresponding size; to provide a tire which may .be very quickly and very easily demounted and which is not liable to become rim cut or to'be seriously damaged in case of puncture; to pro;

40 vide a tire which is light in weight and is especially resilient and easy riding when inflated to relatively high pressure; and to provide a tire which will eiiect asaving in" the power required to propel a vehicle over and above that required withthe usualballoon type 01 tires-of corresponding size and resilient qualities. Also to provide a shale low tire especially suited for large sizes where the depth of full sized tires is ordinarily greater than is needed.

O hr'and more'specific objects will b p n 3 m the following description 7 taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing r I In the. drawing {Figure 1 is a cross sec- 557;

tional view of a tire and rim constructed-in accordance with-my invention.

Fig. 2 1s a V ew 1n elevation, on a reduced Y scale, of the same, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detached edge view of the rim. Like reference numerals designate like. parts throughout the several views.

Referring to F'gs.,1,'2, and 3, the numeral 5 designatesa circular rim which is adapted to be secured, in any suitable manner, to a wheel, not shown. The rim 5 is substantial ly semicircular incross section and the edges of said '11111'916 bentas shown to afford con1- cal bead rece vingsurfacesfi, wh ch'are 1nclined relative to any plane tangential to the rimand are adapted to have the bead portions 7 ofa tire8 seat thereon.

The tire8 may beoi various forms of con '1 struction-but ,I prefer to provide 'in each tire head 7 two non-elastic bead rings 9 which 759,}

constitute the only binder running 'lengthwise around the tire and to reinforce the tire with cords 10 which run crosswise or near I enough crosswise between the rlngs of. the

two beads 7 to form a transverse binder but leave the tire :Eree to expand longitudinally except for the bead rings. The bead rings are non-elastic, as for instance, said bead rings may be continuous hoops of steel that will not stretch when drawn tightly onto 5 theconical bead receiving surfaces. 6 of the rim, but will bind circumferentially on said rim.

The tire 8 is without the usual side walls and is similar to the tread portion of an ordi- 1 nary pneumatic tire which, has its side walls removed and the non-elastic bead rings in} corporated therein. v

The bead receiving portions 6 are inclined from the inner portion of the rim outwardly so that their planes prolonged will intersect each other at the" point 0 outside of the recessed portion of the'rim and so that the bead portions of the tire 8 willbe drawn' from the outside inwardly and up the slope of said bead receiving portions and will be caused to tighten circumferentially on said bead receiving portions 6. i I

The tire 8 isless than a semi-circle in cross V. section and is bound crosswise by the radlal cord reinforcing but is free to expand longitudinally except for the bead rings. The result of this construction is that when the tire 8 is placed on the rim it will bedrawn 10 across the rim on an arc of less than a half circle and the cords 10 willassume an arc Whose center D is located beyond the plane passing through the bead portions 7 so that when said tire is subjected'to internal air pressure the cords held by the non-elastic bead rings will tend to be drawn into the form of'a'smaller arc andwill draw the bead portions 7 of said tire inwardly tightly onto the inclined bead receiving rim portions 6.

l0 IfV the angle of the bead receiving portions 6 and bead portions 7 is too great, the bead portions 7 will nottighten circumferentially on the bead receivin port-ions 6 and may tend to slideoutwardly own the incline when in use,'thus destroyin the practicability of the device. In a simi ar way any shoulder or obstruction of any substantial size. on 'the rimagainst which the bead portion of the tire may abut will retard the tightening of the inthis type of tire and rim to insure the (necessary frictional binding of the tire on the 'rimfor traction and driving" purposes.

portions 6 may be varied within certain limits, but, in. order to secure satisfactory results these angles must .notbe too great. In practice I have obtained very satisfactory results by forming the bead receiving portions 6fat an angle of substantially twelve andonehalf degrees relative to any plane tangential to' the peripheral extre'mitiesof the rim, as exemplified by the dotted line PP, in Fig. 3. Obviously this angle may be varied within reasonable limits ineither direction.

In my'copending application Serial Numv .ber 69,995 of which this application is a divisi on, I have shown a tire and rim construction in which the tire is equal to or greater than a half circle in cross section and in which the direction of incline of the bead receiving por' tions of the rim is reversed and the bead portions of the tire are adapted to be forced out? wardly instead ,ofbeing drawn inwardly by internal air pressure. I find that where the Y a tire is greater than 'a half circle when seated be forced outwardly by air pressurebut where thetire is less than a half circle when seated on the rim theinternalair pressure will draw I x the beads inwardly." At approximately a bead portions 7 circumferentially on the rim. This circumferential tightening is essential The angles of the inclined bead receiving :on therim, the bead portions of the tire will semi-circular shape of the tire there will be very little tendency for internal air pressure lustrative, and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit ofithe .following'c'laims.

' I claim:

1. In a tire and rim construction of the class described,a rim having' an annular circumferential air cavity'forming an air cham 1 'ber, conical bead receiving portions vformed onthe edges of said rim at an incline to a plane tangential to said rim, the inner edges of said bead receiving portions being slightly higher than the outer edges of the same, and

a half tire of elastic material'having non-' elastic bead portions arranged to-be'drawninwardly onto said bead receiving portions by air pressure within said tire and tobind circumferentially on said inclined beadireceiving portions, said bead portions each having.

two non-elasticbead rings therein, said bead rings belng spaced apart and arranged to restsquarely on said mchned bead recelving rim portions. whereby rocking movement of said tire bead portions on said inclined rim portions is prevented and an efficient, a1r seal 1n-' sured, said half tire having reinforcing means extending between said two bead portions and forming a substantially non-elastic transverse binder but leavingsaid tire free to expand longitudinally except for said bead portions. 7

2. In a tire and rim construction ofthe class described, a rim having an annular circumferential cavity forming an air chamber, inclined conical bead receiving portions provided on the edges of said rim,the inner edges of said bead receiving portions being slightly higher than the outer edges of the same, and

a tire of a cross sectional shape substantially 7 equal to but less than a semi-circle and having spaced apart non-elastic conical bead portions arranged to be drawn inwardly onto said ini clined bead receiving rim portions by pressure of air within'saidtire, said tire bead portions.

each having a plurality of non-elastic bead rings therein, said bead portions binding circumferentially on said bead receiving rim,

portions to form an air tight connection, said plurality ofinonelastic bead rings resting squarely'on said inclined beadreceiving rim portions whereby rocking movement of said tire beadportions on said inclined rim portions is prevented.

3. In apneumatic tire and rim construction, a rim, spaced apart conical bead receiving portions at the sides of said rim, the inner edges of said head receiving portions being a higher than the outer edges of the same to give said bead receiving portions'an angle of substantially twelve and one half degrees,

and a tire having a cross sectional shape of less than a semicircle when seated on said rim, and having non-elastic bead portions each provided With an inclined conical base corresponding to the angle of said bead receiving rim portions said tire bead port-ions each having a plurality of non-elastic spaced apart bead rings embedded therein and arranged to rest squarely on said inclined rim portions to thereby prevent rocking movement of said tire bead portions on said inclined rim por tions, said bead portions being drawn inwardly onto said inclined bead receiving rim portions by air pressure Within said tire and binding firmly circumferentially on said inclined bead receiving rim portions.

The foregoing specification signed at Seattle, Wash, this 13th day of Mar. 1930. ALVIN I-I. SHOEMAKER. 

